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Created By: Cecilia Lattari
Artwork: Alice Guidi
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems Inc
Number of cards: 50
Card size: 5 x 3 in
Box size: 5.25 x 3.5 x 1.25 in approx.
Guidebook pages: 64
Purchased or gifted?: review copy gifted by U.S. Games Systems Inc
Absolute favorite card: Be A Forest
Other favorites: The Witch Herbana, Rest, The Runes, Summer, Autumn, Nourish, The Hare
Notable detail: Deck matches the Herbana Witch book perfectly
Season: Early Spring
Sabbat: Ostara
Sign: Taurus
Element: Earth
Tarot Deck compliment: Witch Sister Tarot or Ostara Tarot
Collective Pull: The Elder Tree

First Impressions

I was giddy when I first saw this deck on US Games’ Instagram page. Red Wheeler sent me the matching book last November and I absolutely loved it. It's so beautiful and has become one of my favorite treasures mostly because there were a few recipes in there that were new to me which doesn’t happen too often these days. This deck matches the book perfectly. You’ll find the same illustrations from the book used as cards here so there was no way I wouldn’t like this deck. Now having seen it in person, I love it even more so than the book. The color palette is so consistent and dreamy and soft and earthy; just my kind of aesthetic. And while there’s just a thing or two I wish had been different, overall I love it straight out of the box so let’s dive in.

The Packaging

The box is solid and just what you need. Its full color inside and out with a nice matte finish which is my preference. I always knock on the box to see how strong it sounds and this one sounds pretty sturdy, more like wood than thick cardboard. You won’t find any special features about the box, not that there needs to be: It's gorgeous for sure.

The cardstock is just a touch on the thin side but nothing really to complain about. The cards are fairly large and I find bigger cards are always a bit thinner. The backs of the cards match the inside of the box, featuring a pale green with two birds. I do wish there had been gilding on the card sides. A pale green actually would’ve been gorgeous and put this deck over the top. But, I always say that I’m ok when an earthy deck doesn’t have gilding because it feels more natural I suppose. Again, nothing to complain about but would’ve been nice to have.

The Guidebook

The guidebook is full color and although small, it's still rather lovely. It includes an introduction, a section on how to use the cards and then the card meanings. I’m always a bit bummed when no spreads are included so that’s not my favorite but there are plenty of books and online resources and other decks to find spreads should you desire them.

I like the entries for the meanings. You get a bit of a description, somewhat of a history lesson and the divinatory meaning all in one short paragraph. As much as I love a long entry and I sometimes write long entries in my own decks, I also really appreciate shorter meanings sometimes especially when I’m in a rush. Personally, I like using the guidebook. Someone took the time to write this so I feel it only fair to honor their hard work. I also find it adds another layer to my own intuition which just creates a deeper interpretation. But because I read the guidebooks more often than not, I’m not always interested in reading through a huge essay. It's the books with the shorter entries that I tend to grab the most and I suspect this deck is going to be a regular tenant of my desk for that reason.

I do wish the cards were in alphabetical order or had numbers. They’re arranged in the deck by season and it is pretty easy to see which cards go with each season but it always makes it easier to find in the book if you have a number. Having said that, there is a table of contents that makes it a bit easier to find the page without having to flip through the whole book.

The Artwork

The artwork is hands down the most beautiful thing about this deck. My absolute favorite card is the Be A Forest. I saw it and I knew it would be my favorite even before I went through the rest of the deck. I’m always very attracted to cards that feature a person completely immersed in nature like the figure here. A woman is wrapped around a fox and together, they are wrapped in vines, branches, berries and flowers. The whole card feels peaceful and lush and everything you’d want in an earthy deck.

That’s how the artwork is in general. The color palette is so soothing. For those of you who are new, I really feel strongly about having a soothing color palette in oracle decks, well in life in general. For the past year or so, I have been learning and training in Trauma-Informed Design which is an extension of Trauma-Informed Care. Trauma-Informed Design basically means the way your environment looks and feels matters. That the colors you surround yourself with, the shapes, even the saturation can trigger stress, especially that related to previous traumas. Trauma-Informed Design can be applied to any design work from interior design to how you dress as well as publications such as oracle decks.

“The essence of this deck beckons you toward simplicity, urging you to broaden your perspective to include the unnoticed— the back, the grass along the path, a crow’s feather, or an apple tree blossoming each spring with a sense of childlike wonder and shared mystery.”

Soothing, desaturated colors tend to promote a feeling of calm, support and safety; all qualities you’d probably want in your divination practice. And the more I learn about Trauma-Informed Design, the more important it is for me to seek out decks that align with some of the principles as this deck does. This may not matter for you. You could be someone who doesn’t have a lot of trauma or has found a way to work through it. Or you could be someone who doesn’t have a lot of stress in your life in which case, take what you need and leave the rest. But if you’re like me and you find yourself stressed or agitated a lot, you may benefit from working with ritual tools that are more relaxing in tone.

Which brings me to another one of my favorites: rest which is a beautiful icy blue card with pale pink and browns. It's one of the winter cards and personally, I think it truly captures the spirit of winter quite well. Be sure to read all the way down to see tons of photos.

Purchase Herbana Witch Oracle

Reading With this Deck

I was surprised by my deck’s interview. I was expecting this deck to be very earthy, grounded and all about connecting with earth energy but that wasn’t the case. Mostly, the deck told me I need to work with it to find beauty and feeling lighter. It actually told me I need to focus on magic less and that I need to be more reserved instead of open. It totally shocked me there but I really appreciated it. Mostly because lately, I have been feeling a little more disconnected from magic and have been focused more on day to day joy. This deck totally picked up on my energy and basically fed it back to me so yes, I would say it's for sure accurate though in truth, I don’t believe a deck is ever inaccurate. I think there are messages you can receive and hold in your consciousness right now, and then there are messages that your spirit holds for you until you are ready to integrate them into your life.

I’ve only done a few other smaller pulls. I’m going on a trip soon and decided to take this deck with me since I will be fully immersed in nature. Also, the whole point of this trip is to lighten my load a bit so it feels like the perfect time to work with it since according to the interview, that is what this deck does best.

Collective Pull

I pulled the Elder Tree for you. This card invites you to seek magic in everyday life, not just in the magical moments. To stop and enjoy the delicate dance of flowers blowing in the wind, to observe the way the light falls against a tree, or enjoy the magical moments in your space. Perhaps you take in the way a candle glows or how lovely your sheets feel. Don’t reserve magic for elaborate rituals and spells when it's all around you every single day.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

The deck is broken down into all four of the seasons but I feel early spring when I look over the deck. The colors are in pastel tones which reminds me of Ostara and every card feels lush, even the winter ones. There’s just a softness to this deck so while I’m sure it would be lovely all year, I feel it will really shine in March. Which of course makes it lovely to work with for Ostara as well. Especially because there are so many animals like foxes, owls, and hares.

The element is earth, mostly because the whole concept of the deck is that the Herbana witch is most connected to the earth element and I found no reason to suggest otherwise. The sign was a bit harder to pin down. I ended up going with Taurus but to be honest, that doesn’t feel like the right answer. For now though, I felt an earth sign would be most appropriate and Taurus has always felt like the softest or most gentle earth sign. I could also see Pisces working here as well.

Who is this deck for?

If you have Herbana Witch, the book and love that then get this hands down. The energy is exactly the same and you can use the deck to solidify your favorite parts of the book. Also, if you like earthy, soft decks with a gentle spirit then get this one. It has a restorative quality about it and I think it will be a good deck to reset your energy or when you’re entering a season of slowing down and being more gentle with yourself.

Tarot Deck Companion

I really like two tarots to go with this one. The first is Witch Sister tarot which feels like it has a similar vibe to it but a little more rich in color. Witch Sister also has that really earth connection to nature and a feminine softness about it. When I put them together, I felt like Witch Sister is the big sister and Herbana Witch is the younger sister.

Ostara Tarot feels similar in the design of the art. And while the colors feel very different, I can see a clear similarity in the look and feel.

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you found this review to be helpful, informative or entertaining in any way, please be sure to leave a comment down below. It really helps me know what you’re enjoying so that I can provide more content based on what you love. In the meantime, please enjoy a variety of photos from this deck.

And of course, if there is something you’d like me to consider reviewing, please comment below or email me at hello@spiritelement.co